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Benjamins
This section originally appeared within the "Spiritual Intelligence" section of Part II of the Manifesto, entitled The Prophetic Dimension. This section, and where it appears within Spiritual Intelligence, is indicated below, followed by the text of the section * Normal Intelligence * Paranormal Intelligence * Biblical Examples of Spiritual Intelligence * Prophetic History in CAWKI * God's GPS * Amos 3:7 Principle * Ways not Works * Disciples that God seeks "Preach to the tree!" * Industrial Revolutions compared * The Inspiration Age (the 4th Industrial Revolution) * Prophetic Pictures * Benjamins * Prophetic Warnings * When the Stones cry out ----Many prophets have seen the birth of Rachel and Jacob’s son Benjamin (Gen. 30-35) as a prophetic type for the future of the church. Rachel, who had become a bit grumpy at not having children, finally became desperate and said to Jacob: “Give me children or I’ll die!” Very much like a church that is not fertile at all, but pushes all the buttons to appear fruitful. After a few successful births, she finally starts to deliver her last child on her way to Bethlehem with so much difficulty, that she dies. Before she dies, she names the boy Ben-Oni, that is, son of my sorrow. In many ways, today’s church is like Rachel, that in her desperate attempts to multiply herself, she finally delivers a seemingly untimely birth – on the road to Ephrat (Bethlehem). She delivers a trouble maker, someone she does not merely lose sleep over, but she loses her life. And before she passes away, she attempts to give one final, devastating label to the boy: Ben-Oni. But, as the story tells us: “…his father named him Benjamin,” which translates, son of my right hand. How many prophets and apostles have been born in the church at a seemingly inopportune time, and been called by the established system a Ben- Oni, troublemaker, son of sorrow? But God stepped in and renamed the boy, putting away that label of shame and replaced it with the greatest privilege a man could give: to declare a son to be his right hand man, his executive. At this time in history, many prophets declare that an untimely birth is about to happen – a church born inside the church that is not welcomed by its mother, but by God. An entirely new breed, rejected by a mother that ultimately only wants to build itself up, like Rachel, but this new-born is accepted and empowered by God the Father. An offspring not any more named after the Mother-Church, but after the Father God. Perhaps, you yourself are such a troublemaker, at least in the eyes of religious folk around you. So let me tell you: you are not alone; you are normal; come home. Dad calls you Benjamin, not Ben-oni. There have also been quite a few prophecies regarding a resurgence of new leadership in the Church, about the coming “apostles and prophets.” Here are some. * Kelly Joel Weiler says: “I suppose many look for a new breed of hotshots who will be so much hotter than the rest. They’ll flash bigger smiles, have more confidence, walk with more polish, and teach the flashiest sermons. But how many have walked with Paul, or Peter, or Thomas, or Matthew? The off-scouring of the earth was what they were sometimes called. Crucified, homeless, despised by some, recognized and honored by others. I believe the Lord has been preparing for some time now a whole special generation of apostles and prophets. Though they may first appear on the scene in a somewhat typical fashion, ultimately I think what is brought to the church will strongly change the appearance of what we currently call church. Any ecclesiastical/political revolution will be the result of the content of their lives and ministry, but not throne seeking on their part. This will bring a whole new blood line into the leadership of the church. It’s not a political revolution, exercising a new type of dominion or papacy. What they bring is a revolution of heart foundations, which will inspire a revolution of leadership and ministry; returning the church to the foundations of ‘one body, one family, one for all and all for one.’” * Teri Lee Earl says: “My understanding from the Lord since 1996 or so was that there would be a spontaneous work of the Lord, one in which He independently called and commissioned many out of the spiritual desert. They may be called prophets and apostles by the Lord but they need take on no such titles for themselves, for they will be busy going about the work of apostleship or prophet, rather than stroking their egos with titles or self-promotion. They would also largely be unaware of each other at first and work very independent of one another. If they connected up with one another, it would not be due to an organized effort by man or religious organization, and it would not be under the control of any hierarchy for they would know to avoid that.”